The 26th Annual Empty Bowls food bank fundraiser has set a record of $25,054 for six nonprofits helping feed the hungry in Bartholomew County.
Organizers acknowledged that donations that have come in since the March 23 soup-and-more event at Central Middle School in Columbus put the effort at its highest financial level.
“I am just so excited,” said chair Judy Kiesow, while volunteering Thursday at the local Love Chapel food pantry, one of the event beneficiaries and also the largest pantry in Bartholomew County. “All the nonprofit organizations are so happy for the support shown by our community.”
The gathering attracted about 300 people and originally generated about $19,000, according to Kathy Fink of United Way of Bartholomew County, which serves as the event’s fiscal agent. Yet, as in years past, other donors stepped up afterward to boost that total and help the cause.
A record number of $1,000 business or corporate donations came in for the cause, according to Sarah Sanders of the organizing committee.
Money from the gathering goes to six pantries and/or shelters: Love Chapel, Horizon House homeless shelter, Community Center of Hope, Turning Point Domestic Violence Services, Columbus Salvation Army and Thrive Alliance.
The fundraiser involves people buying volunteer-made soups and chilis, often in locally-produced, hand-crafted bowls for sale, plus breads, desserts and more while listening to live entertainment and brief messages about the need to support struggling families locally.
Kelly Daugherty is Love Chapel’s executive director and also a key figure who helped rescue the event when past longtime organizers had to let it go because of other community work in 2019.
“Wow,” Daugherty said of the latest total. “I’m very pleased.”
Last year’s gathering attracted about 340 people and generated $20,000, divided among the event’s six beneficiaries.
Ideally, organizers wanted to attract as many as 500 people, which would sometimes happen years ago when the area event calendar was not quite as busy. On the same day as this event this year was a library fundraiser, an orchestral concert and more locally. So Kiesow said she was extremely happy with the turnout.
More than 1,000 attended in 2011 when the event ran for more hours.
Local sculptor and potter Robert Pulley launched the event as a member of Columbus Peace Fellowship after hearing about a similar event from artist friends. He then watched people such as longtime volunteer Sarah Grey turn the idea into a reality. Grey, a former Columbus resident known for her social justice and outreach efforts served among organizers until 2019.
